If you’re a world traveler seeking a room with the ultimate ocean view, you’ll be thrilled to know that development for the new submarine hotel is underway. It is set to lie 8.5 meters (28 feet) beneath the surface. With its recent receipt of a coveted patent and even trademark approval, the Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel has plans for construction in Key West, Florida. From there, it will be shipped onto a barge to go to a location which has yet to be determined.

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Guests will gain access to the structure’s accommodations via an elevator. Each room will feature Wi-Fi, air conditioning and panoramic vistas of the encompassing marine life. As the hotel falls under the classification of a vessel, it is able to navigate the seas through use of electromechanical propulsion which allows for location changes in times of bad weather. Funding has been coming from Tony Webb, the same sponsor of the SYNERGY MOON project which was an entrant in the Google Lunar X Prize (a race to land robots on the moon.)

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This latest endeavor is permitting Webb to switch gears by aiming his focus from the heavens down into the depths of the ocean. At a cost of an estimated $20 million to build, the hotel will be constructed to do much more than simply provide one of a kind travel experiences. It’s actually a small part of a rather significant philanthropic project meant to restore coral reefs all around the globe. According to recent reports, climate change is resulting from a rise in submarine temperatures.

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Ultimately, this leads to the widespread bleaching of coral reefs with nearly 38 percent projected to be affected by year’s end. In order to address the issue, the hotel’s team is funding a global coral reef restoration program utilizing a technique called the Biorock process. This process consists of passing an electric current through seawater which leads to minerals within the water crystallizing to form white limestone structures.

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From there, corals are capable of adhering to these structures and flourishing. This technique is already be used in locations around the world such as Jamaica, Palau, Thailand and Mexico. As a large number of countries have been given invitations to register their interests in hosting the Planet Ocean Underwater Hotel, each will be able to temporarily host the hotel until it move to its next home after approving a mooring location for the structure.